Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The Foreign Secretary reiterated the UK's longstanding position on Falkland Islands sovereignty. While the UK recognises that a constructive relationship with Argentina is in our shared best interests, our commitment to defending the Falkland Islanders' right of self-determination will not waiver. Only the Falkland Islanders can and should decide their own future.

I look forward to the opportunity of working with the newly elected Korean administration to develop our UK-ROK relationship even further. I hope to work together with the new government to build on the strong foundations of the Downing Street Accord and our global strategic partnership across all our shared interests.

Our High Commissioner in Dar es Salaam has raised concerns with senior officials of the Government of Tanzania regarding consular access for foreign national activists recently deported from Tanzania.

Our High Commissioner in Dar es Salaam has raised concerns with senior officials of the Government of Tanzania regarding consular access for foreign national activists recently deported from Tanzania.

We are engaging with a range of international partners on Sudan including through our role as penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary gathered Foreign Ministers and high-level representatives from 21 countries and multilateral bodies at the London Sudan Conference. Discussions focussed on how to make progress on shared goals of ending the conflict, protecting civilians and scaling-up the delivery of humanitarian aid. Participants agreed on the need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and committed to proactively support efforts to find a peaceful solution. The UK continues to work alongside the international community in the follow-up to the London Sudan Conference to encourage the warring parties to return to the negotiating table and commit to a meaningful, sustainable ceasefire in Sudan.

The UK values the contribution of all Commonwealth members. Working together we can maximise the impact of the Commonwealth for the benefit of all members.

Togo attended its first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in 2024, represented by Prime Minister Dogbé. The Commonwealth is currently working with Togo to develop a roadmap for technical assistance to support its national priorities. In July 2024, former Commonwealth Secretary-General visited Togo and met with President Gnassingbé.

Gabon is currently partially suspended from the Commonwealth and is therefore unable to fully participate. However, in November 2024, Gabon permitted a Commonwealth Expert Team to observe their constitutional reform referendum and discuss technical support. In April 2025, they also welcomed a Commonwealth Observer Group to monitor their presidential elections. The Group assessed the elections as largely transparent, peaceful and conducted in accordance with the Gabon's legislative framework.

I refer you to the Foreign Secretary's statement of 20 May on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The UK remains committed to working with regional partners to address the urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza and to support efforts to increase the flow of aid. The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to his Turkish counterpart on a range of issues, including humanitarian aid to Gaza. It is the long-standing practice of successive governments not to comment on private diplomatic meetings.

No alcohol from the Government Wine Cellar has been consumed at receptions held at Number 10 and Number 11 Downing Street since 4 July 2024.

My meetings with Spanish Foreign Minister Albares and State Secretary for the EU Fernando Sampedro were focussed on the UK's relationship with Spain. We also discussed the progress of the UK-EU negotiations in respect of Gibraltar's future relationship with the EU. We agreed on the importance of reaching an agreement as soon as possible. The UK Government is steadfast in its support for Gibraltar and will only conclude an agreement that protects sovereignty, UK military autonomy, and prosperity. We are working closely alongside the Government of Gibraltar and will only agree to terms with which the Government of Gibraltar is content.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) provides country specific travel advice and consular assistance to British nationals abroad. The FCDO also works in partnership with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and other agencies to raise public awareness through guidance and advice on global threats to help individuals, the public sector, and the Government to stay secure online. This guidance is applicable worldwide and addresses a range of cyber risks. If British nationals overseas are affected by cybercrime while overseas, they should contact the local police and, if necessary, seek consular support in line with our published services on gov.uk.

The Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement on 23 May that any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable. We remain deeply concerned by the US determination that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have used chemical weapons in Sudan. It is imperative that the SAF engages constructively with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in order to facilitate a thorough and impartial investigation. We expect the SAF to abide by its obligations under the Chemical Weapon Convention not to develop, produce, possess, or use chemical weapons.

Any notification will take place after the event and will not require the UK to divulge sensitive information. Agreement to inform a host nation is standard practice in many such arrangements, while the UN Charter itself has a requirement to notify the UN of military action taken in self-defence.

An opportunity for the Foreign Secretary to discuss trade with his Trinidad & Tobago counterpart has not presented itself since their Government was elected on 28 April 2025.

Any notification will take place after the event and will not require the UK to divulge sensitive information. Agreement to inform a host nation about military action from their territory is standard practice in basing arrangements. Additionally, the UN Charter has a requirement to notify the UN of military action taken in self-defence.

The UK will support the exercise of jurisdiction of Mauritius on Diego Garcia over (i) Mauritian nationals who are not members of UK armed forces or of US personnel, and (ii) all persons not connected to the operation of the Base. This ensures that Mauritius has jurisdiction over any future illegal migration to the island, closing off a dangerous immigration route to the UK.

The UK and Ecuador have an excellent bilateral relationship, and we work closely on shared issues including the environment and climate, the fight against drugs and organised crime, and delivering economic growth. The Minister of State for Security met ministerial counterparts on his recent visit to Ecuador. During his visit he discussed the security challenges facing Ecuador and signed a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation, which offers UK support to Ecuador in their fight against serious organised crime. In May, the Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and Caribbean met the Ecuadorean Foreign Minister in London, whilst President Noboa had an audience with His Majesty the King. We will continue to work to strengthen our relationship with Ecuador.

The Government recognises the important contribution cooperatives have made in serving local communities around the world. Cooperatives are a tried-and-tested model in international development, that can enable citizens and producers to access services or markets and strengthen their voice in local processes. Cooperatives can enable sustainable and inclusive development centred on self-help, democratic ownership, and concern for the community. The UK has supported cooperatives and producer organisations in developing countries, including, for example in agriculture through funding to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), which supports producer organisations, and the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness Programme (CASA), which partners with cooperatives and small agribusinesses in low-income countries to improve smallholder farmers' access to markets.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat, including on their efforts to strengthen anti-corruption agencies across Commonwealth countries. The UK's annual financial contribution to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC) supports this work, including partnership with the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa (AAACoA), a non-profit organisation that focusses on supporting the needs of anti-corruption agencies in Commonwealth Africa countries and providing a space for these agencies to share best practice.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has worked closely with the Department for Health and Social Care in the run up to the 2025 Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting, attended by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, on 17 May. This meeting was an opportunity for the UK and our Commonwealth partners to exchange views and strengthen cooperation on shared health challenges. Commonwealth Health Ministers adopted an Outcome Statement outlining commitments to build equitable, resilient and sustainably financed health systems that prioritise vulnerable member countries. The statement focused on a number UK health priorities including cancer, digital health, mental health and antimicrobial resistance.

On 19 May, the UK issued a joint statement calling for full aid resumption and for Israel to allow United Nations and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) partners to operate independently. We will continue to convene international partners to increase pressure and take further steps to address the catastrophic situation on the ground. As I stated on 4 June, we are appalled by repeated mass casualty incidents at aid sites. No one should risk death or injury to feed their family. The UK will not support any mechanism that endangers civilians or politicises aid. We have committed £101 million this financial year in humanitarian support to trusted partners including UN agencies and NGOs.

The UK remains committed to championing freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in, and we work to promote tolerance and mutual respect for all.

We continue to highlight FoRB violations and abuses on the international stage, including through our position at the UN and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.

We work with our allies and partners to encourage all states to uphold their international human rights obligations and hold those who violate or abuse human rights to account.

Since its inception in 2016, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has been working to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.

The NCSC continue to provide digital and assured industry services to help bring about a real-world, positive impact against threats and are delivering real benefits for the nation, from dealing with significant cyber incidents to defending citizens against online harm and developing a skills pipeline for the future.

Active Cyber Defence (ACD) continues to be one of the NCSC's most successful ways to help bring about a real-world, positive impact against threats. 2.2 million cyber-enabled commodity campaigns were removed by Takedown Service in 2024, up from 1.8 million from the previous year.

The Agreement will be underpinned by a financial package which will consist of: an annual payment; a Development Framework underpinned by UK grant funding; and a Trust Fund to benefit Chagossians.  Costs and other aspects of the Treaty can be found at the following link - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukmauritius-agreement-concerning-the-chagos-archipelago-including-diego-garcia-cs-mauritius-no12025

In response to the brutal conflict in Sudan the UK is doing all it can to strengthen adherence to international humanitarian law (IHL), to promote accountability for violations and to improve the protection context for civilians. The UK is using its position as penholder at the UN Security Council and leader of the core group on Sudan at the Human Rights Council to keep a spotlight on, and take actions in response to, the human rights situation in Sudan. To bolster our monitoring capacity we are funding the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) who are leading efforts to gather open-source evidence about attacks against civilians and infrastructure as well as leading work to monitor hate speech and incitement of violence across the country. We are also providing support to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to enable their human rights monitoring and reporting, and in October, led the renewal of the UN Fact Finding Mission for Sudan's mandate as part of the Sudan 'Core Group' in the Human Rights Council. These are vital mechanisms to ensure that evidence of human rights violations and abuses are collected, preserved, and can be used to hold perpetrators to account.  The UK also strongly supports the International Criminal Court's active investigation into the situation in Darfur, including allegations of crimes committed since April 2023.

The UK Government reserves the right to suspend preferences on particular goods, or to suspend a country from the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) if it finds that they have seriously and systemically breached international conventions in relation to human rights.

When considering suspensions, the UK may assess, among other things, the impact on the beneficiary country's economic and development prospects, the impact on the country's most vulnerable people and the effectiveness of a suspension in bringing about change.

The UK continues to encourage all states to uphold their international human rights obligations, and hold all those who violate or abuse human rights to account. Our Embassy in Bishkek actively monitors the human rights situation in Kyrgyzstan and ministers have raised concerns regarding human rights and media freedom with the Kyrgyz Government.

The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (also known as the Ottawa Convention) continues to play an important role in protecting civilians from harm caused by anti-personnel landmines. As a State Party to the Ottawa Convention, the UK's commitment to it remains unwavering. We continue to encourage countries to join the Ottawa Convention and subscribe to its provisions, and we discourage States from using anti-personnel landmines.

His Majesty's Government continues to publicly express its commitment to the Ottawa Convention, most recently by Minister of State, Baroness Chapman, at a House of Lords debate on Landmines and Cluster Munitions on 03 April 2025.

[https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2025-04-03/debates/F6C91136-946C-463C-81BC-A41C98E6386D/LandminesAndClusterMunitions]

The UK is playing a leading role in response to the crisis in Sudan, including efforts to facilitate more consistent humanitarian access into and within the country. On 13 February, the previous Development Minister convened a Development Ministers' meeting, alongside the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, to focus on how we can accelerate and improve the UN-led international humanitarian response and better coordinate donor advocacy and engagement. At the April London Sudan Conference, the Foreign Secretary highlighted the importance of humanitarian access and the co-chairs' statement from the Conference called on the warring parties to facilitate rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access in accordance with the commitments made in the Jeddah Declaration, and in adherence with their obligations under international humanitarian law. He also announced £120 million which will deliver life-saving services to more than 650,000 people.

As part of ongoing efforts to push for an end to the conflict in Sudan, the UK engages with both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Senior officials including the FCDO's Director General for Africa, the Americas and Overseas Territories, the UK's Special Representative to Sudan as well as the FCDO's Africa Director have each recently travelled to Port Sudan including in both the lead up to, and aftermath of, the 15 April London Sudan Conference to meet with key members of the SAF, including General Burhan. In these engagements, UK officials have continually pressed the warring parties to agree to a permanent ceasefire, to allow unrestricted humanitarian access, to protect civilians, and to commit to a meaningful peace process.

We have secured confirmation that there will be no legal barriers to eGates use for UK nationals travelling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES). But the Prime Minister has been clear that there should be no reason why European countries cannot go further and faster on this now. We are now working with individual Member States to make that happen as soon as possible. Until EES is fully implemented all third-country passports will still require a stamp on entry/exit to the Schengen Area. But where eGates are used, the process is likely to be swifter and more straightforward as, in most circumstances, border guards will not need to carry out further passport checks. UK nationals' access to eGates in the Schengen Area is a decision for each individual country.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghur Muslims. We continue to refer to the OHCHR's 2022 Xinjiang Assessment, which is based on independent evidence and China's own records. We raise our concerns on human rights at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts. We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations, for example, joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October 2024.

The UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership is an important agreement that will enable enhanced dialogue and cooperation on key issues including Ukraine, the Western Balkans, space, hybrid, maritime security and resilience of critical infrastructure, and military mobility. It also complements our relationship as a leading member of the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization, the cornerstone of the UK's defence. There are no costs directly associated with the partnership. As we implement the partnership and take forward key areas of collaboration, I will ensure that any commitment - whether financial or non-financial - provides value to the UK taxpayer and delivers the UK's defence and security objectives.

The authorisation of any non-UK, non-US or non-Mauritian security forces will be agreed jointly between the UK and Mauritius. This means that it can only happen if the UK agrees. Our approach on that will be determined by an analysis of whether the presence would risk undermining, prejudicing or otherwise interfering with the long-term, secure and effective operation of the Base.

Our High Commission in Dar es Salaam regularly discusses issues of governance with the Government of Tanzania and has raised the case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu at senior levels, as well as the recent case of foreign national activists in Tanzania. The UK Government supports due process and the rule of law in all legal cases.

The UK continues to work closely with multiple multilateral organisations to tackle Sudan's grave humanitarian crisis. At last month's London Sudan Conference, which the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), the League of Arab States (LAS), and others attended, discussions focused on efforts to address spiralling humanitarian aid needs as well as how to bring about a political resolution to the conflict. At the Conference the UK pledged £120 million in new humanitarian funding, which will provide lifesaving aid for over 650,000 people. The UK is also working with both the AU and LAS to align international efforts to ensure unhindered humanitarian access.

The UK remains committed to addressing sexual violence against women and girls in Mali, including through our bilateral programming. In financial year 2024/25, the UK allocated £800,000 to the Women in Law and Development in Africa for survivor support and economic empowerment initiatives, £300,000 to the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, to strengthen protection mechanisms. These programmes provide trauma support, skills training, and leadership development for women.

The UK also co-chairs the Women's Empowerment Dialogue Group in Bamako alongside the International Organisation for Migration and UN Women, working with the Government of Mali and international partners to advance gender equality and tackle sexual violence. These efforts reflect the UK's broader commitment to women's rights in the Sahel.

Thorough assessments of both the effectiveness and value for money of programmes, including those supporting women-led and women's rights organisations, are an integral part of our programme management process.

There is strong evidence showing that women-led and women's rights organisations play a significant role in securing and advancing women's rights as well as providing humanitarian assistance, tackling climate change and promoting and protecting democracy. They provide good value for money as this type of support moves away from short term project funding towards strategic investments which have wider social and economic value which sustains long after funding ends.

His Majesty's Government recognises the importance of ensuring the operational independence and security of sovereign interests, including when operating in partnership with allied nations.

The sports complex is the generous gift of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and the Bahrain Royal Family to the UK for its ongoing commitment to the security of the region. And it is intended to support the welfare and morale of UK personnel stationed at the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain, enabling year round access for service personnel.

The UK and Bahrain maintain a longstanding defence relationship, due to our shared interests in regional security and stability.

The human cost of the conflict in Sudan is appalling with the warring parties showing a total disregard for the wellbeing of civilians and women and girls bearing the brunt of the violence. Reports that survivors of sexual violence are said to be increasingly contemplating suicide is an indication of how desperate the context is. The UK is doing all it can to address and respond to such abuses. In February, Lord Collins chaired a UN Security Council Briefing on conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan, emphasising the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities. The UK has also led efforts at the Human Rights Council to establish and renew the mandate for the UN Fact-Finding Mission which is crucial for supporting future accountability efforts in Sudan. On 24 April, the Foreign Secretary issued a statement calling for the warring parties to adhere to their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration to protect civilians. This followed the UN Security Council statement, released on 16 April, condemning the escalation of violence and calling for the parties to urgently implement UN Security Council Resolution 2736.

At the recent London Sudan Conference, the Foreign Secretary announced £120 million which will deliver life-saving services to more than 650,000 people. The majority of this funding will be delivered through key UN agencies, including the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Food Programme who will provide life-saving food and nutrition supplies as well as vital water, sanitation, maternal, and hygiene programmes. This uplift also provides support to local responders both through the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, which supports the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), and the Mercy Corps-led Cash Consortium for Sudan which provides direct cash assistance to Mutual Aid Groups and ERRs on the ground. Our funding will also support displaced people across Sudan and regional countries affected by conflict.

Our High Commission in Dar es Salaam regularly discusses issues of governance with the Government of Tanzania and has raised the case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu at senior levels. The Government supports due process and the rule of law in all legal cases.

During his visit to Tanzania this February, the Minister for Africa discussed Tanzania's political environment in his engagements with ministerial counterparts.

The UK is appalled by the continued violence in and around El Fasher and the Zamzam Internally Displaced Person camp. On 24 April, the Foreign Secretary issued a statement highlighting the unacceptable levels of civilian harm and called on the warring parties to urgently de-escalate. The Foreign Secretary also stated that the UK will continue to use all tools available to hold those responsible for atrocities to account. Through our ongoing humanitarian programme in Sudan the UK is supporting Emergency Response Rooms who play an integral role in identifying safe areas and exit routes for civilians from combat zones and coordinating their transportation options.

The UK continues to use all diplomatic levers at its disposal to press all parties in Sudan to comply with UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2736. Despite the disgraceful Russian veto in November 2024 of a UK-Sierra Leone led resolution to build on UNSCR 2736, the UK has continued to work with UNSC partners to galvanise Council action on Sudan. This has included securing a UNSC press statement on 17 April which called for the end of hostilities around El Fasher and full implementation of Resolution 2736.

Sudan remains an extremely perilous context for humanitarian personnel. Nearly 100 humanitarian aid workers have been killed since the conflict started in April 2023. To protect civilians including aid workers, the UK continues to advocate that parties to the conflict uphold international humanitarian and human rights obligations as applicable, whilst calling for the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including UNSCR 2736 (2024) on El Fasher, Darfur. On 24 April, the Foreign Secretary also issued a statement following renewed attacks in El Fasher, calling for security guarantees in order to deliver aid rapidly and safely.

Sudan remains an extremely perilous context for humanitarian personnel. Nearly 100 humanitarian aid workers have been killed since the conflict started in April 2023. To protect civilians including aid workers, the UK continues to advocate that parties to the conflict uphold international humanitarian and human rights obligations as applicable, whilst calling for the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including UNSCR 2736 (2024) on El Fasher, Darfur. On 24 April, the Foreign Secretary also issued a statement following renewed attacks in El Fasher, calling for security guarantees in order to deliver aid rapidly and safely.